stonecrandall Page 30
Page 30
No one could describe the psychological reaction of people at that moment. All that was known was that even the director, who had anticipated the worst-case scenario, simply opened his mouth wide enough to fit an entire egg, staring blankly at the scene.
"Holy shit!"
"What the hell did I just see?!"
"God, Buddha, Allah, tell me this isn't true!"
"Sword Qi—who the hell dares to say that China doesn't have real kung fu?!"
The transition from deathly silence to chaos happened in an instant. In that moment, people even forgot the horror of the murderer and only wanted to rush to the "martial arts master" to see this being who had truly stepped out of the illusory concept and was now standing in front of them. Meanwhile, the police chief, who was reacting at the same time, blushed and shouted: "Fire—quick, fire!"
Still in a daze, the subordinate faithfully carried out the director's order, pulling the trigger on the "martial arts master" standing in the center. The gunshot brought people back to their senses, and they screamed and fell to the ground. Only a few people, still suppressing their fear, kept their cameras pointed at him.
Their adventure paid off handsomely. Almost as frequently as the gunshots, the clanging of metal against metal rang out more than a hundred times in less than ten seconds. When every policeman's pistol clicked out of its empty chamber, all those who looked up again saw was the figure still standing there, with hot bullets still rolling around him on the ground...
Using the tip of his sword to flick a bullet off the ground and hold it between his fingers, the "martial arts expert" asked with feigned surprise, "A hidden weapon from the Tang Clan?"
The "martial arts master" then ignored all reactions from the scene, lightly stepping onto the top of the signboard of the Jinlong Hotel, which was more than five meters off the ground, amidst the gasps of many. With a few more leaps, he quickly disappeared into the dark night. When the belated SWAT team surrounded the entire Jinlong Hotel for a closed search, they could not find even a trace of him...
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The martial arts masters have disappeared, but their legends are destined to be passed down.
The recent incident of a modern combat athlete knocking out an ancient martial arts master in just over ten seconds has sparked heated discussions. Just when people were beginning to doubt the authenticity of Chinese martial arts, this sudden appearance of a "martial arts master" is tantamount to dropping a nuclear bomb on the martial arts world.
News can be faked, legends can be faked, masters can be faked, but the only thing that is truly real, a video of the same version taken from several different angles by different people, cannot be faked.
Even with all the deletions by the internet authorities, it was impossible to block all those videos that had been copied, pasted, and uploaded countless times. Almost overnight, the entire country of China knew about a real-life "martial arts master."
As for why he is called a "martial arts master"?
If you can stand still and withstand the fire of a dozen pistols while holding an iron sword, you are qualified to be called a "martial arts master"—a martial arts master that no one can question.
P.S.: Please vote and add to your favorites!
Forbidden Zone of Life: Chapter 67 "Martial Arts Master" (5)
Two days have passed, but the uproar caused by the "martial arts master" has not subsided at all, and even shows a trend of continuous escalation.
On this day, Li Ming, feeling bored in class, opened his phone and casually browsed news items as usual, when he came across a headline.
Shocking! A true martial arts master has reappeared in the martial arts world!
"Damn, does UC's headline only include 'shocked' and 'stunned'?"
While complaining, Li Ming still couldn't resist clicking on it. Putting everything else aside, the title was quite attractive, especially with the accompanying pictures.
Li Ming was quite aware of the martial arts topic that had been making headlines in China recently. After all, no one could have imagined the outcome before that "duel" began: modern combat sports had exposed the profound and extensive martial arts culture of China for over a thousand years in just a few seconds. With such a huge contrast, it was hard to ignore.
Upon hearing the news, Li Ming's martial arts dream, which had once swelled in his heart, quickly cooled down. He, who had always been a bystander, would never express his opinion in any online flame wars. However, he made an exception this time. He spent two whole class periods writing a "reflection" of more than 5,000 words, in which he vented almost everything, from the origin and development of martial arts, from its authenticity to its evolution in terms of entertainment value, from his anger towards "masters" to his pessimism about tradition. Then he posted that reflection online and got three likes and five clicks... That was it.
Regardless of whether Li Ming's "magnum opus" will be unearthed again in the future, this contemporary college student now has a clear idea in his mind: all Chinese martial arts are just a gimmick, a publicity stunt. The so-called "kung fu" simply doesn't exist in the world, and there can't possibly be such a thing as a "martial arts master"—it only exists in fantasy.
The only reason he clicked in was to see the latest photo editing techniques. It would be better if he couldn't see them, as that would give him even more reason to engage in cyberbullying and insults. He even had a headline ready: Shocking! UC Shocking News Department becomes a whitewashing group earning tens of thousands a month. Is this a distortion of human nature or a decline in morality?
This thought persisted until he noticed a video file attached to the news article.
"...What the heck? An ad?"
In this era, almost everyone who has ever used a computer knows some photo editing skills, so trying to explain something with just a few pictures is not enough. But videos are different. Those who specialize in video editing either don't have time for such meaningless things because of their main job, or they have a huge amount of post-production work to do, and it would be a complete waste of time and effort just to whitewash things.
With a thought that even Li Ming himself didn't know how to describe, he clicked on the video.
It's clear that the person filming this video was in a state of confusion at the time, as evidenced by his meaningless shouts and the constantly shaking screen. However, Li Ming showed no dissatisfaction—if he had been there, he probably wouldn't have fared much better.
The video was very short, only thirteen seconds long from start to finish, and less than half of it actually captured the "martial arts master." However, the most crucial moment was successfully captured: the sparks flying from the collision of the bullet and the blade, the seemingly continuous sound of impact, and the final low, surprised voice.
[Tang Clan's hidden weapons?]
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After enduring until get out of class ended, Li Ming practically ran all the way back to his dormitory. When he eagerly turned on his computer to upload the video to C-site, which he frequented, he was surprised to find that more than a dozen videos with different perspectives but the same version had already filled the entire homepage of the site.
Even when he opened the browser's search bar, the default first search result had become the words "martial arts master".
At this moment, Li Ming had no more doubts—even the most skilled video editor could not create more than a dozen fake videos, let alone successfully deceive the entire internet, not to mention the many people who actually experienced that scene firsthand.
"Holy crap—from now on, who dares to say that Chinese martial arts are just for show?!"
With bloodshot eyes, Li Ming clicked on a pinned video on C-site. Almost as soon as it started playing, the entire screen was blocked by colorful subtitles. He had no choice but to block out the comments before he could see what was playing.
It seems that a content creator discovered this big news early on and, before most people noticed, collected more than a dozen versions of the video and made them into a short film. In terms of technical quality, it was the worst kind – it had neither an opening nor an ending theme, not even background music, let alone post-production.
But this "three-no" video successfully topped the website's monthly pageviews, bringing the unknown content creator hundreds of thousands of followers and even getting it pinned to the top by the administrator.
After spending more than an hour looping the short film eleven times, Li Ming finally scrolled down to the comments section.
There was no other way; the bullet comments were completely illegible, so he could only vent his emotions through the barely functional comment section. However, he guessed many others shared Li Ming's sentiments. The latest comment he saw had jumped from 170214 an hour ago to 281451, and the number kept increasing by hundreds with each refresh, making Li Ming worry about C-site's servers…
281681L: Ancient Chinese martial arts are inferior to modern combat sports? Now your face is swollen from being slapped.
281682L: Seeking a martial arts master for a hefty reward! Urgent, waiting online!
281683L: Not bad, you've already reached half my strength.
……
282451L: Replying to 281681L: Why are you still slapping me in the face? If you keep doing that, I'll lose all face.
282452L: Team up to ascend Mount Shu in search of a master. Those interested, please add QQ: XXXXXXXXXXX
……
Just as the public was celebrating this mysterious "martial arts master," the police force in City C was about to face a storm that was destined to be unpleasant.
Almost immediately after the news broke, the police station's phone rang non-stop. More than a dozen officers who had performed poorly were dismissed, and many more high-ranking officials were either suspended or demoted. The chief's pale face indicated that he himself was not faring well either, but at least he managed to keep his position for the time being. In return, he had to find the murderer of the "May 520th major homicide case" and bring him to justice as soon as possible.
Forbidden Zone of Life: Chapter 68 "Martial Arts Master" (The End)
"Since everyone is here, I don't need to go into details. The higher-ups are taking this 'May 520 major homicide case' very seriously. The murderer was extremely cruel and cunning in the process of committing the crime, posing an enormous threat to society. For the sake of the safety of the people, we must strive to bring this murderer to justice in the shortest possible time. That's why we established this special task force for the May 520 major homicide case."
The newly appointed task force leader paused for a moment, then asked, "Is there anything else you don't understand?"
A hush fell over the room as everyone waited for the next speaker.
“Very good. Now that you understand the seriousness of the matter, we will immediately begin investigating the murderer in the 520 major homicide case. The information we have now includes the characteristics and some features of the murderer, as well as some information he has revealed.”
As he said this, the head of the task force handed the materials to everyone, including Li Gao, who had two black eyes, and Lao Zhao.
Unlike the others who carefully read the intelligence report upon first encountering it, Li Gao and Lao Zhao only glanced at it before putting it down. It wasn't that they didn't value it; rather, they already knew the intelligence report by heart, or rather, they were one of the direct providers of it—if they weren't familiar with it by then, they might as well have committed suicide.
"According to incomplete statistics, the murderer used several terms during the crime, including 'Golden Dragon Gang,' 'Six Doors,' 'Tang Clan,' and 'hidden weapons.' It has been learned that 'Golden Dragon Gang' is a nickname for the Golden Dragon Hotel in the underworld. As for 'Tang Clan' and 'hidden weapons'..."
Even without the team leader saying anything, everyone already knew what was going on. It was simply a matter of the roles these members of the organization played and the purpose of those guns. From the few words of that "martial arts master," it wasn't hard to deduce a fact: outside the harmonious society they knew, there existed a "jianghu" (江湖, a world of martial arts and outlaws)—probably not the harmonious kind. This was evident from the fact that this "martial arts master" killed someone in the street without a word, then went straight to the Golden Dragon Hotel and killed twenty-nine people before disappearing in front of everyone.
Thinking about this, Li Gao wanted to curse. You're such a "martial arts master," you could just hide your face and sneak up to anyone you want to kill. Why do you have to make it so well-known? It's like you're afraid no one will know.
"Of course, we cannot rule out that the information released by the murderer is just false information, intended to mislead our investigation, but we cannot let go of any clues."
Or perhaps it was simply impossible to let it go. After taking on the case, the head of the task force sadly discovered that the information he possessed was practically nonexistent, aside from these bizarre words. Was he really going to investigate the murderer based on those few physical characteristics? Haha, he'd probably have to investigate thousands, if not millions, of cases. Add in the investigation of evidence and other documents, and it would probably take until the next century.
"Currently, all departments, including the traffic police and special police forces, have received orders to fully cooperate with the task force's investigation. We hope everyone can recognize the seriousness of this incident!"
After a brief summary, the meeting was adjourned. Just before leaving, the team leader seemed to remember something and suddenly said, "There's something I need to emphasize. Before the major murder case of 520 is solved, everyone should put aside the less important cases you have on hand. Someone from above will take over. Our primary task is to find the murderer in this case... That's all, dismissed."
Li Gao and Lao Zhao, who were about to get up, exchanged a helpless glance, but they didn't have much of a resistance. After all, it was obvious which case was more serious than the previous one. Given their limited energy, it was inevitable that they would prioritize one case over another. It was just a waste of the efforts of the past few months. Not only did they fail to catch the murderer, but they also wasted so much time and energy.
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The third day after the "May 520 major homicide".
Lin Yi smiled as she drew back the curtains early in the morning and noticed that the prying eyes outside had disappeared. She then walked to her computer and opened the latest news.
The Real Chinese Kung Fu!
Ancient Chinese martial arts can't beat modern combat sports? Bring it on!
Sword Saints in History and Their Strength Assessment
……
Behind those eye-catching headlines, however, came some news items that Lin Yi found interesting.
The Birth and Origin of the Golden Dragon Gang
"The Other Side of Well-Known Entrepreneurs You Don't Know"
Chen Weiran – A Success Story Stained with Bloodshed
……
Without exception, these news reports all describe Chen Weiran, a well-known company, and his Jinlong Hotel with a critical and skeptical attitude. Interestingly, no matter what the starting point is, the final conclusion is that "Chen Weiran is the wrong party." To this end, they even dug up many old grievances that had been ignored for many years, such as unpaid wages, beating employees, and forced demolition of houses. As a result, the main participants in this murder case have achieved a dramatic reversal of their image.
The victim is transformed into a villain who aids and abets evil and ultimately suffers retribution, while the perpetrator is transformed into a hero who helps those in need—perfectly fitting the image of a martial arts master.
"Isn't it interesting?"
[Incomprehensible]
"It's very simple, I just met their needs."
His fingertips tapped lightly on the table surface, his gaze, unfocused yet amused, drifted out the window: "Appear at the time they need to appear, in the image they need to appear. If we had done it differently, if I had appeared as a 'modern combat expert' instead of a 'martial arts master,' what do you think the outcome would have been?"
【…】
"Yes, in a murder case where there is no suspense, public opinion will overwhelmingly favor the victim, regardless of his previous identity or what he did before. At least at that moment, he is just a 'victim'."
“On the contrary, if I appear in the image they need, then this ‘murder’ would not be a necessary element at all—an innocent victim and a brutal perpetrator.”
"They are always so naive... When they like someone, they will justify all of his/her actions without distinguishing right from wrong, but when they hate someone, they will defile that person's behavior and even his/her personality."
The tapping motion with the fingertips stopped slightly.
"It's very interesting, isn't it?"
Forbidden Zone of Life: Chapter 69 Manhattan Virus Research Base
Manhattan Island, United States.
"Apart from a slight discrepancy in time, it's almost identical to World Zero... Could I interpret this as another 'Earth'?"
[Insufficient information, cannot confirm]
Ignoring the mechanical, repetitive reminders in his mind, Lin Yi looked up with interest at the huge square in front of him—Times Square—while referring to the map.
"God, in the history of World Zero, in 2007, did a place called 'Times Square' exist in Manhattan, New York?"
[Data retrieval in progress... Approximate result: Times Square.]
Although I had expected it, I still felt a little disappointed after hearing the ending.
"It seems to be just a parallel world."
The parallel universe theory, also known as the parallel world theory or the multiverse theory, refers to a theory in physics that has not yet been proven.
According to this theory, there may be other universes outside our universe, which are a reflection of possible states of the universe. These universes may have the same or different fundamental physical constants as the universe we know.
Clearly, the world located in Times Square, Manhattan, New York, and the Zero World located in Times Square, Manhattan, United States of New York, are two different "possible states" as an external manifestation. As for what caused this divergence, that is beyond Lin Yi's current ability to explore.
After confirming that the world newly discovered by the Main God was not the same as World Zero, Lin Yi no longer had any intention of testing the waters. If this world was indeed a "replica" of World Zero, then Lin Yi might choose to use it as a brand-new "experimentation ground," such as what actions he might take in this world and how the natives of this world might react, thereby determining the limits of his actions in World Zero, or testing the latest technology or the most powerful weapons of the natives of this world, so as to prepare for future direct conflicts in World Zero.
Unfortunately, although they have many similarities in various aspects, there are still differences in certain details. "Times Square" is just a relatively obvious example. At least in the world of China, the God cannot find another "Lin Yi", let alone a "Fragment of the God" that will appear someday in the future.
Subtle differences in key areas can ultimately lead to drastically different and disruptive results, much like the future of a world with "Fragments of the Gods" versus a world without them. Following the same principle, since there are differences in the details, it's best not to try to bring the understanding of one world into another—unless you're prepared to capsize in the gutter.
"Not to mention, the timing doesn't match up..."
Looking at the giant electronic clock in Times Square, Lin Yi exhaled: "God, search for locations that meet the previous criteria."
[Command confirmed, searching...]
Three days later, a pharmaceutical company called "Watchmen" was established in an industrial area on the west side of Manhattan Island. According to the information posted online, the company was set up to develop some kind of new health product—just like the thousands of small factories that open and close down in the United States, nothing special.
Clearly, Lin Yi didn't need this shell company to be anything special. For him, there was only one purpose in establishing this company—or rather, in coming to this world.
"Based on the different activities of the T virus in different worlds, it is certain that it is not only the prototype virus mutation and the Kabane virus mutation that have evolved. In order to obtain more systems and possibilities, I need a research team dedicated to studying this virus."
Lin Yi quickly scanned the vast amount of information provided by the God of God on his retina, and gently tapped the table: "At this stage, we just need to find suitable researchers in this world. Apart from the preservation of the most core part of the gene programming, the reading of other gene fragments can be completely handed over to these 'professionals'."
He paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, under the guise of 'developing health products'."
Regardless of the threat posed by infected individuals resulting from malignant or degenerate mutations of the T-virus, the mere fact that a portion of it can induce passive benign mutations in humans is enough to qualify it as any "health product." After all, the original purpose of the T-virus was to enhance various aspects of human physical health, but it simply went out of control due to rapidly expanding ambitions. Now, turning back to create "health products" is a piece of cake.